Penholder

ABSTRACT

Penholder includes a hollow stepped holder base having a top center through hole and an expanded split lower section, a connector connected to the holder base at a top side to hold a cord member for hanging, and a shell coupled to the holder base and moved axially relative to said holder base and adapted to compress the split lower section of said holder base, said shell comprising an annular top defining a center through hole, through which said connector and the upper section of said holder base pass to the outside of shell, and an expanded lower section fitting over the tapered outer diameter of the split lower section of said holder base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a penholder adapted to hold a pen and, more particularly, to such a penholder that can be hung on the user's neck to hold a pen.

[0002] In our daily life, either in the office or at home, we may have to use a pen to write words or to make notes. Various penholders are commercially available for holding pens on the desk or the flat surface of an object, or in a suitcase or the like. When going outdoors, we may fasten a pen to the pocket for use anywhere and anytime. However, we cannot fasten a pen without clip to the pocket. Further, it is inconvenient to carry a pen with oneself when wearing an upper clothes without pocket.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide a penholder, which has means for hanging on the user's neck. According to one aspect of the present invention, the penholder comprises a hollow holder base having an expanded split lower section, and a shell coupled to the holder base and axially slidably moved relative to the holder base between the locking position where the pen being inserted into the holder base is locked, and the unlocking position where the pen being inserted into the holder base is allowed to be removed from the holder base. According to another aspect of the present invention, a connector is coupled to the holder base to hold a hanging cord for hanging on the user's neck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004]FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a penholder constructed according to the present invention.

[0005]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the penholder according to the present invention.

[0006]FIG. 3 is a side view in section showing a pen inserted into the greater lower section of the holder base of the penholder according to the present invention.

[0007]FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 but showing the shell forced downwards into engagement with the outer diameter of the greater lower section of the holder base.

[0008]FIG. 5 shows the sliding connector of the penholder moved with the push button of the pen held in the penholder according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0009] Referring to FIGS. from 1 through 3, a penholder 1 is shown comprised of a holder base 11, a shell 12, and a sliding connector 13.

[0010] The holder base 11 is a stepped hollow member comprising an annular top 111 defining a center through hole 1111, four sliding slots 1121 equiangularly spaced around the periphery of the smaller upper section 112 thereof, four longitudinal splits 1131 equiangularly spaced around the greater lower section 113 thereof and respectively longitudinally aimed at the sliding slots 1121, and an inside annular groove 1132 around the inner surface of the greater lower section 113. The greater lower section 113 has an inner diameter made gradually reducing toward the inner diameter of the smaller upper section 112. The shell 12 is a hollow cylindrical member having an annular top 121 defining a center through hole 1211, a plurality of projections 1212 radially inwardly extended from the annular top 121 and suspending in the center through hole 1211, and an expanded lower section 122. The diameter of the center through hole 1211 of the shell 12 is approximately equal or slightly greater than the outer diameter of the smaller upper section 112 of the holder base 11 but smaller than the outer diameter of the greater lower section 113 of the holder base 11. The sliding connector 13 comprises a through hole 1311 at the center of the top 131 thereof, a plurality of projections 1312 radially outwardly extended from the periphery of the top 131, and a plurality of springy hooks 132 equiangularly spaced around the periphery at the bottom side.

[0011] The assembly process of the penholder 1 is outlined hereinafter with reference to FIGS. From 1 through 3 again, the holder base 11 is inserted into the shell 12 from the bottom side to force the smaller upper section 112 through the center through hole 1211, enabling the projections 1212 of the shell 12 to be inserted into the sliding slots 1121 of the holder base 11, and then the sliding connector 13 is inserted into the center through hole 1111 of the holder base 11 from the top side by force. When inserting the bottom end of the sliding connector 13 into the center through hole 1111 of the holder base 11, the springy hooks 132 are squeezed inwards by the inner diameter of the annular top 111 of the holder base 11, enabling the lower part of the sliding connector 13 to pass through the center through hole 1111 into the inside of the holder base 11. After insertion of the sliding connector 13 into the center through hole 1111 of the holder base 11, the projections 1312 stop the sliding connector 13 from falling to the inside of the holder base 11, and the spring hooks 132 prevents the sliding connector 13 from escaping out of the holder base 11, i.e., the sliding connector 13 is axially movable in the holder base 11 within a limited range. Further, a cord member 2 is fastened to the sliding connector 13 for securing the penholder 1 to, for example, the user's neck.

[0012] Referring to FIG. 4 and FIG. 3 again, when holding a pen 3, the top end of the pen 3 is inserted into the conical inner diameter of the greater lower section 113 of the holder base 11 from the bottom side to force the outside annular flange 311 of the pen 3 into engagement with the inside annular groove 1132 of the greater lower section 113 of the holder base 11 (see FIG. 3), and then the shell 12 is lowered relative to the holder base 11 to force the inner diameter of the expanded lower section 122 of the shell 12 into engagement with the outer diameter of the greater lower section 113 of the holder base 11, and thus the pen 3 and the penholder 1 are firmly secured together. When removing the pen 3 from the penholder 1, the shell 12 is pulled axially upwards from the holder base 11 to release compressive force from the greater lower section 113 of the holder base 11, for enabling the pen 3 to be pulled out of the holder base 11.

[0013] Referring to FIG. 5, when operating the push button 32 of the pen 3, the sliding connector 13 is moved with the push button 32.

[0014] While only one embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, it will be understood that various modifications and changes could be made thereunto without departing the spirit and scope of the invention disclosed. For example, the connector 13 and the shell 12 can be formed integral with each other for use with the holder base 11 to hold any of a variety of pens without push button. 

What the invention claimed is:
 1. A penholder comprising: a hollow stepped holder base adapted to receive a pen, said holder base comprising an upper section, and a split lower section, said split lower section having longitudinal splits and a tapered outer diameter greater than the outer diameter of said upper section; a connector connected to the upper section of said holder base at a top side for the installation of a cord member; and a shell coupled to said holder base and moved axially relative to said holder base and adapted to compress the split lower section of said holder base, said shell comprising an annular top defining a center through hole, through which said connector and the upper section of said holder base pass to the outside of shell, and an expanded lower section fitting over the tapered outer diameter of the split lower section of said holder base.
 2. The penholder of claim 1 wherein the upper section of said holder base comprises a plurality of longitudinal sliding slots equiangularly spaced around the periphery thereof, and said shell comprises a plurality of projections radially inwardly extended from said annular top and respectively inserted into the longitudinal sliding slots of said holder base to guide movement of said shell relative to said holder base and to limit moving range of said shell relative to said holder base.
 3. The penholder of claim 1 wherein said connector is formed integral with the upper section of said holder base.
 4. The penholder of claim 1 wherein the upper section of said holder base comprises a center through hole in a top thereof; said connector is inserted through and moved axially in the center through hole of the upper section of said holder base, comprising a plurality of springy bottom hooks adapted to limit upward stroke of said connector in the upper section of said holder base, and a plurality of radial top projections adapted to limit down stroke of said connector in the upper section of said holder base.
 5. The penholder of claim 1 wherein said connector comprises a top center through hole, and a cord member fastened to the top center through hole of said connector for hanging the penholder on the user's neck.
 6. The penholder of claim 1 wherein the split lower section of said holder base comprises an inside annular groove extended around an inside wall thereof and adapted to secure a pen to the inside of said holder base. 